The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-08-04

~ Ola IadIaa-Kmsr Eho was the Faths
Fhfrfv-Fhras rhildrsn.

a. ola IadIan- killer Who was the FathsF
% Thlrty-Fhree children.
When Western Peunsvlvania was the
frontier and the Indian fighter was tbs
most important aud indispensable person
In the settlements. Charles Brandon was
one of the best and most daring Of all the
artiVe foes Of the red men, says the New
York SinL At the age Of three years, In
lT6A be was captured By the Indiana,
who killed bis father Al the same time
THIS wis on the banks Of the Ohio river
For twelve years the boy was kept among
the savages, but he disliked them and es-
capped when be was fifteen years old. He
found a white settlement and learned 70
talk his native language. From that
time on be gave his life 70 Indian kill
ing.
In l7po when the Indians were getting
scarce, Charles Brandon married a you ng
woman named Mary Meyers She bore
him two children and died. He then mar.
ried Fannie Slusher. She bore him eight
cen children, and died in lisa Braddon
was thea nearly seventy years old. When
he was five years older he married Sarah
Barker, who was only sixteen. She was
the youngest Of sixteen children. She
lived with him twenty-One years, bear
ing him in the meantime fifteen children.
Then she got divorce from hias, he being
ninety-six. The separation from his wife
broke his heart, and although az the time
be was a. agile, strong and active as he
was when be was married he pinned
away and died the same year the divorce
was obtained. He then had thirty three
lNlng children.
His divorced widow had had the care OF
all Of them. and she raised all that were
young enough 70 need raising Brandon
had been the father OF thirty-hve chill
dren, but two died, one q child ~ his first
wife and the other one Of the eighteen
his second wife bad borne him. The d.
vOrced widow moved 70 Moundsville, W.
Va, and the most OF the thirty-three chill
dren went with her. Among them were
two Johns and two Charieses- One OF the
Johns and one OF the Charleses were the
third wifeis children. There was a James
who was old enough 10 50 70 the Mexican
war, where he was wounded In the neck
When the war Of the rebellion broke
cut the two JOhrs, the two Charleses,
Sim, Evans, Josephus, Hiram, James,
Van Buren,, Jarob, Abraham, Alex
ander, David, Andrew and Reese,
Of the sons enlisted in the
Union army, all in Ohio and Virginia
regiments. The third Mrs Brandon's
John and Charles were taken prisoners
81 Chiekamauga- They were both put in
AndsrsOnville Prison. John died In nine
months Charles was there twenty-ons
months and escaped. Peter was killed at
Shiloh while his regiment, the Seventy
Second Ohio. was making a charge All
the other sons served through the war
and came home.
The third wife OF the remarkabl old
Indian-killer. and mother and stepmOther
OF his remarkable family, still lives At
Aoundsville. She Is seventy years old.
Until three months ago she was In destl-
tute circumstances. Then she got a pen
sion and S25j0 as her claim against the
Government She IL six feet in height
a. straight As an arrow, as
strong as a man, and exoeling nine out Of
every ten men in powers Of endurance.
Only few days ago she walked 10 ST
Clairsville, twenty miles, in five hours
and back again m the same time She
has only one eve. The other one was shot
out about thirty years ago by one Of the
second wife's boys. She had occasion to
correct him. He got his bow and arrow
and shot her, putting out her eye. This
remarkable woman knows the where
abouis Of only nine OF the thirty-three
children They live near her
But, takin' them an their children an
their children's children, there must be
nigh 70 a thousan' on 'em by this time"